I don't find enough stories that feature a father/daughter duo, so I ate this one up. The fantasy elements also enhanced my enjoyment of this read.

The scientifical angle of this sci-fi YA is quite interesting - time and its unpredictable changes and behaviour. Time as an entity is a fascinating issue. Here in the novel there are zones where time goes slow or fast...and no one knows why. Some parts of this zones can be used for living, for fun...some are dangerous. And exactly the dangerous zones are where the main heroine Sora is used to go. She is curious...and she is looking for her missing mother here. There are some unexplained issues with her mom being gone. Throw in some Japanese mythology and some environmental topic and you have the material for an exciting YA about scientific issues.
But there is also romantic department and this is where I am disappointed. Sora might not know that she is into the girls (this is questioning/LGBTI+ novel), but her sexual behaviour with her boyfriend is outright risky in its mindlessness and "just because" motive and can be a base for serious heartbreak if doing this in real life.

The narration was very good! The narrator really enhanced the story. I appreciate the right pronunciation of the Japanese names.

This wasn't what I expected at all. The synopsis makes it sound like a SFF book, with folklore and mythology, and while there were hints of the latter, this felt much more like a contemporary with fabulist elements. Which would be fine, but the plot was kind of underwhelming and the sequence of events at the end felt unbelievable to me (partly because the story set itself up as a contemporary rather than a fantasy). Sad that this didn't wow me the way I'd hoped.

A really interesting concept. The storytelling is unique and characters are likeable. But I just lost interest about halfway in. Maybe if I were reading the physical copy rather than the audio, it would have felt different. I don't know. It's a good story though.

Catfish Rolling presents an intriguing blend of magical realism and Japanese mythology, promising a tale of grief, memory, and time amidst the backdrop of a nation rocked by an earthquake. The concept of a catfish beneath Japan's islands, its movements shaping the land, sets the stage for a captivating journey.

However, while the synopsis paints a vivid picture of the story's potential, the execution falls short. The narrative lacks cohesion, feeling more like a disjointed series of vignettes rather than a cohesive whole. It's as if we're glimpsing fragments of a larger narrative without ever fully immersing ourselves in it.

While the protagonist, Sora, navigates the wild and abandoned time zones with her scientist father, the story struggles to maintain a sense of direction. As Sora searches for her missing parents and confronts the enigmatic catfish, the plot meanders, leaving the reader longing for a more focused narrative.

Despite its shortcomings, Catfish Rolling offers glimpses of brilliance, particularly in its exploration of liminal spaces and the distortion of time. Yet, these moments of intrigue are overshadowed by the story's lack of cohesion and emotional depth. Ultimately, while the title may evoke curiosity, it fails to deliver on its promise, leaving readers with a sense of indifference rather than awe.

I would read a whole story just on the time zones because it's such a fascinating topic, but I loved Sora's story and the discussion of grief and identity as well as the way the time distortion affected her and her father. This was a compelling story - it's a YA that works well for an older audience. I definitely recommend it for anyone who likes magical realism inspired by mythology.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

I wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did! The cast of characters was compelling and the plot was different than anything I had read before - which was great! The concept was super interesting and the way the general conflict was navigated really drew me in! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! (4.25 stars)

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was an interesting one, although what had my attention the most- the splitting of time- wasn't as developed as I would have liked. Still kept my attention, and the narrator was good.

Sorry! Nothing wrong with this at all. I just couldn’t get into the story for some reason. I tried but it just wasn’t for me. It will definitely capture other people’s interests — I think it may be wrong timing for me. Maybe I’ll try again sometime soon! Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Catfish Rolling is a fantastical and enveloping story about the real power of lore and legends, and the relationship between time and trauma. This story is truly unlike any other fantasy novel I've encountered. The story is very engaging and cultivates a desire to understand what's happening. An Earthquake in Japan has created zones where time moves slower or faster, and many are seeking to understand why. The story follows a daughter trying to figure out who she is, and what she wants to do after high school. The story blends these plotlines beautiful, and presents several quite profound lessons. I really enjoyed the story, and the immersive effect of the audiobook.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

The story in itself was okay, but for young adult readers I think it just needs a bit more meat to keep them entertained. The narrator seemed a bit monotone and would recommend the book more than the audiobook version.

I started this audiobook, and realized this was different from what I was expecting. I suspect I'd enjoy this book even more if I had a physical copy. The premise is what drove me to requerst to recevie an advanced copy. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advance audio!

A beautiful read! Not something I ordinarily enjoy, but it was interesting nonetheless.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

I was expecting something different when I read the synopsis and I think that is what made my reading of this book less enjoyable.

I think it was an interesting book but it could have been more.

I was drawn toward Catfish Rolling due to the amazing cover (the UK variant I find slightly better), and took a dive on a story about a young woman dealing with the long term aftermath of an earthquake so enormous that it broke time itself (which happens in the prologue). The majority of the story takes place seven years later, as the world is adjusting to the change in time flow in certain areas.

At the heart of the story is Sora, dealing with her life after graduating high school, with her relationship with her father growing more distant in the years since her mother was lost in the shake. The story isn’t about some epic plot to fix the time flow or save the world, but it doesn’t need to be. Sora was interesting to get to know as she processes her feelings over many aspects of her life and her time sensing abilities, as well as feelings of isolating and what she wants to do with her life, and discovering an answer by the end. While most of the story takes place in the present, we have occasional flashbacks, mostly in the first half of the story, going to earlier parts of Sora’s life.

It feels like a mix of soft sci-fi, magic realism, and Japanese mythology (some of it new to me), and it is a slower paced story with descriptive prose, focusing more on Sora’s feelings and longings of her family, growing up a hafu (half Japanese) in Japan, romantic feelings (she’s bi), and what time actually is. The fantastical elements melded well for the most part, but I got confused in the last few chapters as things sorta get surreal and extreme. I understood the basics of the whole time zones, but I think the terminology was little confusing and could have been a bit clearer overall. Catfish Rolling reminded me a bit of Mike Chen’s books, mostly his first, Here and Now and Then, which also dealt with time. Though this has a younger protagonist (Sora is 18) so it’s technically YA, not Adult.

Some side notes: the book is written in British English (was published first with a UK publisher) and has a British narrator (Susan Momoko-Hingley) that does a good job, however, Sora isn’t British, so it was a little jarring and had to remind myself a few times while listening, so it was a minor distraction. I thought Koki was “Corky” for the longest time even though I knew it wasn’t. Also, there’s some occasional swearing.

This would appeal well to readers that love a slower pace story with some magic realism and digging deeper into Japanese mythology and culture, but not if you need an epic fantastical “save the world” plot, but you’ll get something out of it if this is for you.

I received and ARC copy from netgalley in exchange for a fair review. All opinions are my own.

Sorry my review is late, I've been really busy with getting over COVID, deal ng with doctor appointments and stuff. It's been about a month since I read it as so this will be a bit shorter than my normal reviews but here it is. :)

I really really loved this!
I really loved the how it handled grief, dementia and how the LGBT rep was still prominent without it seeming out of place in a book about grief and dealing with the aftermath of it.
I really liked the narrator too I thought they were very clear and it wasn't confusing when there were flashbacks, something I find in a lot of Audiobooks.

I would definitely recommend this to my friends and I'm going to find a copy to read again

grife, loss and time.

Time and how each one of us perceives it is relative, but what if time actually went by faster and slower depending on your location?
While this book might lean more towards science fiction than fantasy it was an interesting story to listen to.

In Catfish Rolling a series of earthquakes in Japan, moved not only the ground people lived on, but also the time people lived in. The land is now divided into zones, where each one moves slower, faster or together with "real"-time.
In this version of Japan, people often get lost in time, and Sora's mother was one of them. Her dad dedicated his life to researching this time phenomena, and Sora is here to help.

Another big part of the story is loss and grief. Whether it be about losing loved ones to time or losing oneself, in the almost impossible journey to find your place in a world of ever changing time structures.
If you don't feel in the mood to read about grief, maybe skip this story until you are in a better mental space to read or listen to these types of topics.

Actual Rating: 2.5 ☆

Catfish Rolling by Clara Kumagai is labeled as a magical realism novel about an earthquake that shook Japan causing our main character to lose her mother and her house. More appropriately, I would label this as literary fiction set in an alternator universe post-apocalyptic Japan.

What I liked about it:
-Queer representation. There is a sapphic relationship between the main character bisexual and the love interest who is a lesbian.
-Japanese culture, folklore, and mythology
-Discussion on political issues young biracial girls face
-Lovely lyrical prose.

What I didnt like about it:
-The book is spoiled al the way to 80% by the blurb. This is mostly because there really isn't any plot at all. The book is basically a very long slice of life with no end-goal other than to philosophize on time and the merits of life
-The most fascinating concept, the time zones and how the earthquake created slow and fast moving areas of time was not at all explained. The world building was quite lacking and left me feeling unsatisfied. I also truly do not understand Sora's super power with time. It was quite confusing.
-While it was slice of life, I do not feel like there was any growth in terms of character arcs or character development. The relationship felt a little forced and I feel like the characters did not change in any way from when we first met them.

Thank you to RB Media, Recorded Books, and Netgalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Catfish Rolling was very different than what I usually read. It’s a beautifully written book and quite magical. I especially enjoyed the audiobook. Momoko-Hingley did a great job with the characters and the tone of the story. Once I stated listening I couldn’t stop!